Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 21
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Chapter 21 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Tale of Three Brothers
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[edit] Synopsis
Xenophilius Lovegood explains that the Deathly Hallows mark he wore at Bill's wedding, is not Dark at all, though a burly young man there thought it was. It is actually a sign indicating one is on a Quest for the Deathly Hallows, and it is from The Tale of the Three Brothers. Harry has never heard of it, but Ron and Hermione have; when Hermione says she has a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Xenophilius asks her to read the story aloud.
Xenophilius elaborates upon the subject, although he seems uneasy. The Tale of the Three Brothers relates how three brothers cheated Death and received artifacts from him. These were a wand, called the Elder Wand, which was unbeatable in a duel; a Resurrection Stone, which, when turned three times, summons souls from the afterlife to the living world; and Death's own Cloak of Invisibility. These items are the Deathly Hallows, and despite it being a fairy tale, the Three Hallows actually exist. Recalling the symbol on Ignotus Peverell's grave in Godric's Hollow, Hermione asks if there is any connection with the Peverell family. Xenophilius replies that it is believed that Ignotus is one of the three brothers in the story, though to himself, Harry recalls the Peverell name from somewhere else.
When Xenophilius goes to prepare dinner, the Trio discuss the three Hallows. Hermione admits the wand has the best documented history. Magical history has many stories of super-powerful wands, and there seems to be a consistent link from the past to the present. The Resurrection Stone is dismissed as being a modified Philosopher's Stone, but there is speculation that the Invisibility Cloak is the one in Harry's pocket. It has withstood the test of time, appearing new and unworn, unlike ordinary invisibility cloaks that eventually become threadbare and lose their effectiveness.
Harry, curious, goes up to Luna's bedroom. Although Luna is supposedly fishing for their dinner, her room is dusty and appears unused; Luna ought to be at home for the holidays. Harry again asks Xenophilius about Luna's whereabouts and why there are only four plates set for dinner. Xenophilius tries to prevent the Trio from leaving, then admits that "they" took Luna away to an unknown location as a punishment for his stories in The Quibbler. Hermione spots approaching broomsticks; Xenophilius uses the distraction to draw his wand, but Harry has pushed the other two aside as Xeno's spell hits the Erumpent horn, which explodes, blowing Xenophilius down the stairs. The Trio are buried under rubble, while the printing press has dropped across the staircase. Downstairs, two Death Eaters, Travers and Selwyn, demand to know why Xeno summoned them and tried to blow them up. Upstairs, the Trio dig themselves out, and Hermione throws the Invisibility Cloak over Ron. She fires a Memory charm at Xeno as he claws his way through the rubble, then blasts a hole through the floor. As they fall, Harry sees the Death Eaters. Hermione safely Disapparates them to a field.
[edit] Analysis
The Trio have come here, in part, because Xenophilius Lovegood is sympathetic, publicly, to Harry's cause. However, we see that Death Eaters have forced him to abandon his support by imprisoning his daughter, Luna. Controlling family members via state-ordered or state-backed kidnapping is common in totalitarian regimes throughout history. Considering how dangerous it is for anyone to support Harry, it is questionable as to why Lovegood continued publishing The Quibbler openly at his home rather than hiding underground like so many other wizard families, or why Luna was allowed to remain at Hogwarts, which is now under Voldemort's control. But like Luna, Lovegood's odd views and outlandish beliefs have warped his perception of reality, and he may simply have been oblivious to the perils, or believed he was immune to any danger. Unfortunately, this has cost his daughter's freedom, and possibly her life (and threatens his own) if he fails to cooperate with Voldemort's Death Eaters. Now Lovegood will do anything to save Luna, including betraying Harry Potter.
We have seen that Viktor Krum and others believe the Deathly Hallows symbol is a Dark mark. It is possible that most people, including Krum, never understanding its true meaning or origin, associate it with evil only because Grindelwald adopted it, and, after disgracing himself at Durmstrang, went on to become one of history's most notorious wizards. From then on, the Deathly Hallows symbol was forever tainted and considered "Dark." That a benign image can become associated with evil is hardly unprecedented. The swastika is such a modern-day icon: its origins date back to ancient history as a benevolent and sacred symbol in many Asian and Middle Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and others. It was later discovered to be linked to ancient Indo-European people, including the Aryans, prompting Nazi Germany to adopt it in the mid-20th century as their emblem to represent racial purity and superiority. Although Asian cultures still consider it a symbol for luck, fortune, and victory, the swastika is primarily remembered (and still used) in the West as symbolizing Nazi hate and prejudice. Presumably, this same pattern has resulted in some Wizarding realms associating the Hallows mark with Grindelwald, just as the Dark mark (the skull and snake) represents Voldemort.
Although Harry now knows what the Deathly Hallows actually are, it will take him time to completely understand their significance. The Invisibility Cloak is likely the same one that Harry owns, lending credibility to the belief that the other Deathly Hallows exist. In particular, the Elder Wand likely has some real existence, as is shown by the documented murders that apparently follow its possibly mythical trail. If the Elder Wand truly exists, and Harry finds it, it could be a powerful weapon against Voldemort. Harry is once again cast into confusion; whoever controls all three Hallows is supposedly "the master of Death." Dumbledore had set Harry the task of finding and destroying the remaining Horcruxes; would possessing all three Hallows make that task easier? Should he devote his energies to uniting the Hallows and thus possibly avoiding the almost certain death he faces at Voldemort's wand?
Hermione once again shows how she is able to react quickly while under fire when she safely Disapparates the Trio out of danger.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- How does Xenophilius' explanation about the Deathly Hallows symbol differ from what Viktor Krum told Harry at Bill and Fleur's wedding?
- Why would Viktor Krum and others believe that the Deathly Hallows symbol was a Dark mark?
- If Xenophilius has been supporting Harry Potter in his paper The Quibbler, why does he report him to the Death Eaters? Was he justified in doing this?
- Why is Harry suspicious regarding Luna's whereabouts, and where might she be?
[edit] Extra Study
- Why did Xenophilius and Luna never go into hiding so he could continue to publish pro-Harry articles in The Quibbler? Should he have allowed Luna to remain at Hogwarts? If not, why?
- Of the three Deathly Hallows, why is the Resurrection Stone dismissed as the least likely to exist? Is that explanation plausible? Of the Trio, who would be the most interested in it and why?
- Why does Hermione cover Ron with the Invisibility Cloak while deliberately allowing the Death Eaters to see her and Harry before she Disapparates the Trio to safety?
- What modern-day comparisons can be made to a benevolent symbol like the Deathly Hallows becoming an evil icon?
[edit] Greater Picture
The Deathly Hallows that Xenophilius Lovegood mentions are real, though it is unlikely that there could be three brothers who literally tricked Death. It is believed they may be based on the Peverells, a family that both Harry and Voldemort could be descended from; it is suggested that they could be simply extremely talented Wizards. Meanwhile, we will learn that the artifact Voldemort has been seeking is actually one of the Hallows, namely the Elder Wand. It is still unknown where the Elder Wand is, but we will discover that it was actually in Dumbledore's possession at his death. Voldemort will discover this and retrieve the wand from Dumbledore's tomb. As legend proclaims this wand unbeatable in duels, Voldemort believes it will overpower Harry, as his own wand and Lucius Malfoy's were unable to. However, the story of the Three Brothers has told us that the Elder Wand's master is always vulnerable to defeat, and that this is how Dumbledore not only came to possess it, but also lost its allegiance. Although Harry does not actually obtain the Elder Wand until the war's end, it will still prove to be a powerful weapon against Voldemort.
Harry, as mentioned, seems to recall hearing the Peverell name somewhere. He will remember that the ring Marvolo Gaunt brandished under Bob Ogden's nose in a memory Harry experienced in Dumbledore's Pensieve was "the ring of the Peverells". Harry has seen this ring on Tom Riddle's finger in a memory retrieved from Professor Slughorn, on Dumbledore's damaged hand when he collects Harry in the summer, and lying on one of Dumbledore's work tables. Where it is now, and what significance it has, are as yet unknown.
We will learn in the next chapter that Hermione, even under pressure, is reacting with great intelligence and forethought. With only moments to act, she protected both Ron's family and Xeno. By allowing the Death Eaters to see her and Harry, she protects Xeno by confirming that he sent a legitimate summons. She also used the Invisibility Cloak to hide Ron's presence from the Death Eaters (and presumably from Xeno with the Memory Charm as well), to protect him and also his family. If Ron is discovered with Harry and Hermione, rather than confined at home with Spattergroit, Voldemort and his Death Eaters will target the Weasley family, just as they did the Lovegoods. Concealing Ron safeguards his cover provided by the ghoul. Hermione's family is also in danger, but she has hidden them in Australia, with new identities and altered memories.
